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In a cost-cutting move, many companies are selling real estate holdings, consolidating corporate campuses and encouraging employees to work from home....
Marketing, unlike a job in manufacturing, seems to be one function suitable for telework. Is this a positive or negative trend for marketers?
A recent Wall Street Journal article titled, “When Working at Home Doesn't Work: How Companies Comfort Telecommuters,” (August 28, 2006) mentions full-time employees who work from home at least one day a month rose 30% to 9.9 million between 2004 and 2005.
While the benefits of working from home include flexible scheduling and drastically reduced commuting costs, some interviewed workers in the WSJ article complained of boredom, lack of social interaction, and the curse of decreased “visibility” among management—which in turn could affect future promotions.
In previous positions, I was a long time teleworker, having worked for two global consultancies. Many of my friends and colleagues in the corporate office were amazed a marketing professional could work remote and still get results. Other colleagues were brave enough to admit if they worked from home, they’d never get anything done.
Telework isn’t for everyone, and certainly not for every position in marketing. However, if you are considering a marketing position that includes some or 100 percent telework, I’ve found 5 strategies (there may be more) that contribute to success:
1) Stay visible. A key challenge for any teleworker is to stay on the radar screen of your fellow employees and senior managers. It’s important to attach yourself to high visibility projects whenever possible. The more you contribute to high profile work, and have your name attached to such work, the less chance you have of becoming an after thought.
2) Speak up. If your team is mostly at corporate headquarters and you are the lone ranger on the phone, it pays to be active in the conversation. Your colleagues and manager need to know you are contributing to the discussion.
3) Visit headquarters. Travel budget permitting, try and visit company headquarters every 4-6 weeks. Make the most of your time at HQ by setting up as many meetings as possible with colleagues and managers.
4) Keep distractions to a minimum. A home office should be more office than home. Having your own office where you can close the door and work is critical to success. Kids and spouses need to be respectful of noise levels and interruptions.
5) The phone is your friend. For teleworkers, it is easy to get caught up in using email as a primary communications vehicle. Use the phone to respond to requests that would require a long email response. Also use the phone to touch base weekly with your fellow colleagues and managers.
The Wall Street Journal article mentions other strategies to replace daily interactions of the office environment, including joining social and business networking groups to increase face-to-face interactions, and using instant messaging programs to facilitate near real-time conversations.
Telework can be an effective option for many marketers, and I’ve seen many more companies becoming comfortable with the idea of “virtual” employees.
Can marketing executives be successful in a telework environment? Is it possible to be promoted as a “virtual” worker? I’m interested in what you think!
tag: telecommuting
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Comments
My research shows that being successful working by yourself is more about your own style and needs. Some people can't handle working on their own and, if telecommuting is a requirement of their job, reach out constantly. They spend loads of time on the phone making connections and re-connections. They arrange to meet friends, if not business associates, for lunch. Or they jump in their car and go somewhere - anywhere - the minute their work-alone day is over.
Other personality styles thrive working alone from home. Knowing yourself and your needs is a great start in understanding whether to accept a position that requires working alone from home.
Posted by: hazel wagner | 09.05.06
Paul, in my former life working on the "inside," I used to work at home whenever I had any major copywriting to do. I found it challenging to write in my office, especially when department staff needed my input or guidance. Being interrupted frequently was the norm.
However, when I needed to brainstorm and develop creative ideas for marketing campaigns or tactics, there's nothing like putting all the brains together in one room, feeding off each other. The synergy that comes from working together as a team, in one location, cannot easily be replaced through teleconferencing and e-mail communication.
It's a real balancing act to telecommute effectively, I imagine. I agree with you that it's important to spend some time IN the office, but I think a 4-6 week span may be too much.
Posted by: Elaine Fogel | 09.05.06
Good insight and advice Paul. MarketingProfs is virtual -- I'm in Boston, Publisher Allen Weiss and Director of Strategy Roy Young are in LA, Val Frazee is in northern Cal, and two of our customer service ninjas are in Houston, and so on -- and we find that regular "face time" is critical. As an editor, I function well working out of my home and mostly alone. Day to day, I get stuff done and am efficient. But the big picture/strategizing stuff really only happens when two or more of us are gathered as a group. So it's not just time at headquarters (as you say above)...but time spent as a group together.
And Hazel -- I agree with you. I enjoy working at home and am very productive. But so often I meet people who say, "My God! I'd go NUTS!" : )
Posted by: Ann Handley | 09.05.06
I think you'd be surprised how many so called "progessive" companies are still stuck in the dark ages when it comes to allowing employees to work at least part time at home.
Sadly, there are still some CEO's who stare out the window and equate employee productivity with the amount of parked cars in the lot.
Posted by: Paul Barsch | 09.05.06
These are great suggestions if you telecommute. If you are changing jobs, though, you might want to check if telecommuting is "expected" or optional. I did this for a couple of years and found that due to restricted travel budgets, there was not enough face-time and projects proceeded at a snail's pace.
Posted by: Greg Fisher | 09.05.06
Having just written a book all about managing marketing INSIDE the organization (Marketing Champions, Wiley 2006), I advocate more time for marketers inside the finance department, inside the R&D department, working side-by-side with sales (and freeing up sales reps to spend more face time with customers. I think "out-of-site/out-of-mind" is unfortunately true for marketers, and their leadership depends upon bringing the customer INSIDE the organization. That means working with others to break down silos and lead teams.
Having said that, a day here or there to do solitary work makes a lot of sense if you can find quiet at home or in a Starbucks.
Posted by: Roy Young | 09.07.06
True enough, Roy.
Although finding a quiet spot inside a Starbucks is pretty rare, in my experience. Last time I tried to work there, the drive-through speaker squawked constantly, and there were a tables of chatty people all about. Plus, the place was cold enough to freeze a Frappucino.
Stabucks needs a "quiet" zone. With space heaters.
Posted by: Ann Handley | 09.07.06